Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMIX features remastered versions of Kingdom Hearts 2 , Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep and scenes from Kingdom Hearts : Recoded rendered in HD. If you are a fan of action - RPGS This is a no-brainer. Kingdom Hearts 2 and Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep are arguably the best games in the series. Building on the original Kingdom Hearts combat system, both games offer a new take on the formula and it's hard to say which is better. If you are new to the series this is a fantastic way to get you ready for Kingdom Hearts 3.

Kingdom Hearts 2 looks beautiful in HD and it's hard to believe it was originally a Playstation 2 title. This time around Square-Enix included content that was originally only available in the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts 2 : Final Mix. Final Mix is chocked full with new story scenes, side-quests, equipment, bosses and a new difficulty mode. Seasoned veterans will find Critical mode is the best way to play and forces you to think before you mash the attack button.

A decade later the worlds of The Lion King , Tron and Pirates of the Caribbean still offer a fun change of pace and keep you engaged on this 60+ hour adventure. The only downside to Kingdom Hearts 2 are the loading times. Increased loading times in and out of battle hurt what could have been perfection. If only this game came with an installation, it likely would have solved this problem.

Organization XIII members are optional boss fights that offer amazing challenge and require you to be on your feet at all times to achieve victory. Each one has a different gimmick and forces you to play by their own rules. Beating them all will net you a crown for Sora reminding you of your feat every time you play. This is by far the greatest addition to the ReMIX and I highly recommend you give it a shot.

Lingering Will has also been added as an optional super-boss. This guy is tougher than nails and will really test your reactions. With his array of devastating array of special moves you will find yourself at the game over screen more than once. I only recommend this one for the true completionists.

Kingdom Hearts : Birth By Sleep is a prequel to the original Kingdom Hearts which fills in the gaps between games. Combat is a modified version of Kingdom Hearts 2's but takes a modern approach similar to MMO's or MOBA's. Filling up your bar with elemental spells sends you into a form similar to Kingdom Hearts 2's drives which keeps the combat fulfilling with each slash.

Birth By Sleep's story is unique and a first for the Kingdom Heart series. While playing through the story as one character will net you most of the story, you must play it through as all three characters to see the full story. Ventus , Terra and Aqua all play differently which makes seeing the game too completion not too tiring. While controls play nicely on the Dualshock 3, the camera in Birth By Sleep is a little off making some encounters troublesome.

The Scenes from Kingdom Hearts : Recoded are nicely rendered in HD but may only be enjoyable if you are up to speed on the story line. The story of Kingdom Hearts is very convoluted with only the series director Tetsuya Nomura knowing what will be next. I can only recommend Recoded if you are a Kingdom Hearts enthusiast. The Bottom Line:

Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMIX offers an amazing value for it's price. Despite the incoherence of Recoded the two playable games are two of the best in the series. Purchasing this is a great way to tide you over until Kingdom Hearts 3. If the game had an installation it would be near perfect.